Casting Mould, Process, and Device For Casting Metal Melts

ABSTRACT

A casting mould for manufacturing a cast part from a metal melt includes a mould cavity for reproducing a cast part and comprising an inlet for pouring metal melt into the mould cavity and also to a device and a process for casting metal melts of this type. The casting mould provides further optimized casting results even under hard practical operating conditions. In addition, the use or application of the device according to the invention and the process minimizes the risk of jamming during casting. This is achieved in that the casting mould has at least one compensation chamber which is linked to the mould cavity via a channel and comprises at least one portion which is arranged above the maximum filling level (F max ) of the casting mould during solidification of the metal melt.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a National Phase Application of InternationalApplication No. PCT/EP2006/060171, filed Feb. 22, 2006, which claims thebenefit of and priority to German Application No. 10 2005 010 838.5,filed Mar. 7, 2005, which is owned by the assignee of the instantapplication. The disclosure of each of the above applications isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a casting mould for manufacturing acast part from a metal melt which is, for example, a light metal melt,especially an aluminium melt. In addition, the invention relates to adevice and a process for casting metal melts of this type to form a castpart using a casting mould of this type.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

One possibility for producing cast parts using casting moulds of theabove-mentioned type is what is known as “contact casting”. In thiscasting process, the casting moulds, each of which is to be filled withmelt, are gradually moved below a melt container containing the metalmelt. Formed in the base of the melt container is an outlet which mergeswith a supply channel, to the free end of which the inlet in eachcasting mould is docked. The outflow of melt out of the melt containeris in this case conventionally regulated via a stopper which can bemoved from a completely lowered position, in which it seals the outlet,into a raised position, in which the outlet is released and melt is ableto flow into the casting mould via the supply channel.

Another casting process which has enjoyed practical success is what isknown as “low-pressure casting”. In this process, the melt is conveyedcounter to gravity from a melt container docked to the bottom of thecasting mould into the mould cavity in the casting mould via an inletarranged on the bottom of the casting mould. For this purpose, there isa pressure applied to the melt contained in the melt container, whichforces the melt to flow into the mould cavity in the casting mould via ariser pipe which acts in this case as the supply channel.

Regardless of the manner in which the mould is filled, there is theproblem that what is known as “jamming” occurs once the mould has beencompletely filled. This jamming is manifested in a sudden rise in staticpressure acting on the walls of the casting mould. It is a result of thekinetic energy with which the melt flows into the casting mould suddenlybeing converted, once the mould has been completely filled, into staticenergy and, at the same time, the amount of melt which has accumulatedin each supply channel exerts a pressure on the melt which is alreadypresent in the casting mould. This pressure surge not only presses themelt into the gaps which are inevitably present between the individualmoulded parts of the casting mould; the casting mould walls surroundingthe mould cavity are also penetrated to a greater extent. This hasproven especially problematic in the case of casting moulds which aremade of a porous moulding material and are destroyed for demoulding thecast part once the melt has solidified. In the case of “expendable”casting moulds of this type, in particular, jamming causes the castparts obtained to have a rough surface and necessitates increased effortfor releasing the cast parts, once they have solidified, from themoulding material of the casting mould.

To minimise the extent to which the metal melt penetrates a castingmould made of sandy moulding material, the filling level in the mouldcavity in the casting mould is, in the case of a device known from DE196 23 720 A1 for contact casting, monitored while the melt is beingpoured out and, on reaching a provided filling height, the fillingprocess is terminated prematurely to the extent that the superfluousamount of melt which still burdens the melt once the mould has beencompletely filled is minimised and the risk of jamming is thus reduced.For this purpose, the casting moulds used in the known device have intheir lid an inspection opening which leads rectilinearly into the mouldcavity and through which a laser beam is directed onto the surface ofthe melt introduced into the casting mould. The beam reflected by themelt is intercepted by a sensor which forwards its measurement signal toa control and evaluation means which, based on the laser beamtransmitted and received, determines the respective filling level of thecasting mould and, on reaching a critical filling height, issues acontrol signal to seal the outlet in the melt container. The criticalfilling height is in this case adjusted in such a way as to avoid anyundesirable jamming even if any melt continues to flow in the supplychannel.

In practice, it has been found that, under the rough conditions providedin practical casting operation, monitoring the height of the fillinglevel and prematurely terminating the flow of melt on the model of theprocedure described in DE 196 23 720 A1 still do not rule out theundesirable penetration of the inner walls of the casting mould with therequisite degree of certainty.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention, in one embodiment, features a casting mould in whichfurther optimized casting results are ensured even under hard practicaloperating conditions. In addition, a device and a process, the use orapplication of which, can minimize the risk of jamming during casting.

With regard to a casting mould for manufacturing a cast part by castinga metal melt, which mould has a mould cavity for reproducing a cast partand an inlet for pouring metal melt into the mould cavity, the inventionfeatures a casting mould of this type with at least one compensationcavity which is linked to the mould cavity via a channel and comprisesat least one portion which is arranged above the maximum filling levelof the casting mould during solidification of the metal melt.

With regard to a device for casting metal melt to form a cast part in acasting mould configured in accordance with the invention and isequipped with a melt container, comprising an outlet, for the metalmelt, with a supply channel connected to the outlet, with a means fordocking the casting mould to the melt container in such a way that theinlet in the casting mould is connected to the supply channel whendocked, with a measuring means for detecting the amount of meltintroduced into the casting mould, with a regulating means forregulating the flow of melt from the melt container into the castingmould and with a control and evaluation means which evaluates the amountof melt detected by the measuring means and issues a control signal forsealing the outlet in the container once a specific filling level in thecasting mould has been reached, the invention features the control andevaluation means issuing the control signal once the amount of meltpoured into the casting mould has reached a limit value at which theamount of metal melt which is then still present in the supply channelis sufficient to fill the mould cavity completely and at most a portionof the compensation cavity.

With regard to a process for casting metal melt to form a cast part in acasting mould, wherein the metal melt is guided in a regulated mannerfrom a container into the casting mould via a supply channel and theinflow of metal melt into the supply channel is interrupted once aspecific amount of metal melt has been introduced into the mould cavity,the invention features a casting mould configured such that the inflowof melt into the supply channel is interrupted once the metal melt inthe mould cavity has reached a filling level at which the amount ofmetal melt which is still present in the supply channel is sufficient tofill the mould cavity completely and at most a portion of thecompensation cavity.

To avoid as far as possible penetration of a casting mould as a resultof jamming, the invention proposes the formation in the casting mould ofa compensation cavity which is designed to absorb, as a buffer, theamount of excess melt which is no longer required for complete fillingof the casting mould and, as a result of this process, inevitablyremains, even after the melt container has been sealed, in the supplychannel via which the melt flows into the casting mould. Themetallostatic pressure, which would otherwise prevail, of the amount ofmelt present in the supply channel is thus prevented from acting on themelt present in the casting mould.

At the same time, in the event of pressure peaks in the casting mould,the compensation cavity acts as a damper by which, for example, jamming,which is especially critical in the prior art with regard to the surfacequality and subsequent processability of the cast part obtained, iseffectively buffered. The melt infiltrating the mould cavity in thecasting mould is able to escape into the compensation cavity, thuspreventing, in particular, the sudden rise in pressure which occurs inconventional casting moulds, once the mould has been completely filled,as a result of the conversion of the kinetic energy, inherent to themelt during filling, into static energy.

In terms of the process and device, the embodiment according to theinvention of a casting mould allows the inflow of melt into the supplychannel to be interrupted as soon as the casting mould is filled, thetolerance range within which this interruption is carried out beingwidened by the buffering effect of the compensation cavity. It is thusensured, even under crude practical operating conditions, that the flowof melt is in each case terminated in good time in such a way asreliably to rule out, with incorporation of the effect of thecompensation cavity, the production of pressure peaks in the castingmould.

The linking of the compensation cavity via a channel firstly serves, inthis case, the purpose of allowing the casting compound remaining in theregion of the compensation cavity to be easily separated from the castpart after solidification. The channel is therefore preferably formed insuch a way that the webs remaining in the region of the channels aftersolidification are thin and easily separable. The surface area of thepassage of the melt to the chambers is in this case preferably selectedso as to be as large as possible in that the linking of the channel isas broad as possible at a given low linking height.

A particular advantage of the embodiment according to the invention of acasting mould is that the compensation chamber is formed in the castingmould itself, so the casting mould as a whole remains closed. Thisallows the casting mould easily to be turned in order, for example, tocause purposefully oriented solidification of the cast part.

The amount of melt which remains unused in the compensation chambers isnegligible compared to the overall volume of melt required for the castpart. A suitably sophisticated configuration of each connecting channelbetween the mould cavity and compensation chamber allows the castingmaterial which collects in the chamber easily to be broken off from thefinished cast part. It has been found to be especially beneficial forthe practical application of the invention that casting mouldsconfigured in accordance with the invention may easily be inserted intoexisting casting devices and that these existing casting devices mayeasily be retrofitted to devices according to the invention or beoperated in the manner according to the invention.

The cast parts obtained using the invention have a much smoother surfacethan those manufactured in the known manner. Especially in the field ofsophisticated moulded elements of the cast part, such as, for example,the oil channels of engine units, the levels of surface roughness aremuch lower, as is accordingly the flow resistance as liquids flowthrough. The cast parts obtained in accordance with the invention areespecially simple to clean, as little moulding material clings to themafter demoulding. The effort required for cleaning the finished castpart is therefore greatly reduced. Finally, the reduced penetration ofpressure of the inner surfaces by the melt lowers the requirementsplaced on the quality of the moulding material used for manufacturingthe casting mould. More economical coarse-grain moulding materials maythus be used without detracting from the surface quality.

The invention therefore provides a casting mould, a casting device and acasting process which provide, even under hard practical operatingconditions, casting results which not only ensure optimized surfaces butalso allow simplified removal from the casting mould once the cast parthas solidified.

The options for use of casting moulds according to the invention may beextended in that the cross section of the channel is delimited in such away as to be sealed, as soon as the mould has been filled with metalmelt which has already solidified. This can be achieved in that thecross-sectional course of the channel is adapted to the heat dissipatedvia the casting mould in the region of the channel in such a way thatthe solidification of the melt contained in the channel is completedvery rapidly. It is thus very easy to prevent cast metal from flowingout of the compensation chamber into the mould cavity and back once themould has been filled. This has been found to be especially beneficialfor casting processes of the type in which the casting mould, oncefilled with melt, is rotated about a longitudinal or transverse axis tobring about purposefully oriented solidification of the cast part.

In principle, the advantages of the invention may be utilized in allcasting moulds and casting processes, regardless of the material fromwhich the casting mould is made. However, the good demouldability makesthe invention especially suitable for expendable casting moulds whichare usually made of a moulding sand and a moulding material comprising abinder.

An especially uniform effect of the configuration according to theinvention of a casting mould may be achieved in that there are provideda plurality of compensation chambers which are connected to mould cavityregions which are, in each case, critical with regard to the effect ofpressure peaks. However, it is also conceivable to provide a largerchamber which is connected to the mould cavity via a suitably configuredconnecting channel or via a plurality of channels leading into thecritical regions.

The casting mould may, in principle, be provided for all known castingprocesses. Examples include contact casting or else rising casting. Thecasting mould according to the invention may be provided for themanufacture of cast parts for the automotive industry, especially ofengine components such as, for example, cylinder blocks.

A constructionally simple embodiment of a casting mould according to theinvention is obtained if the compensation chamber is linked to a portionof the mould cavity that is located on top while the metal melt is beingpoured in. In the case of casting moulds composed of a plurality ofmoulded parts, the compensation chamber may for this purpose beincorporated, for example, into the casting mould lid which is arrangedon top during filling.

The amount of melt guided into the casting mould can, in principle, bedetected by a weight measurement or other known processes. The amount ofmelt may in this case be detected, in a particularly reliable manneradapted to the actual conditions, in that the measuring means monitorsthe filling level in the casting mould and the evaluation means issuesthe control signal once the metal melt in the mould cavity has reached afilling height at which the volume of metal melt which is still presentin the supply channel is sufficient to fill the mould cavity completelyand at most a portion of the compensation cavity. In order, for thispurpose, to be able to utilize the possibility, known from DE 196 23 720A1, of an especially precise and practical measurement of the fillinglevel of a casting mould, the casting mould is advantageously providedwith an inspection opening leading to the mould cavity for inspectingthe filling level of the metal melt in the mould cavity. Thecompensation chamber and the inspection opening are in this casepreferably oriented in such a way that the inspection opening to themould cavity and the compensation cavity intersect a common horizontalplane. The filling level of the chambers may thus be gauged, in eachcase, via the inspection opening.

If the casting mould has an inspection opening of the type describedhereinbefore, the measuring means of the device according to theinvention may comprise, in a manner known from DE 196 23 720 A1, alaser, which directs a laser beam through the inspection opening ontothe surface of the melt introduced into the casting mould, and a sensorwhich detects the laser beam reflected by the surface of the melt.

The risk of the occurrence of a pressure surge may be further reduced inthat the filling speed is reduced toward the end of the mould-fillingprocess by reducing the flow through the outlet in the melt container.For this purpose, in the case of a device according to the invention,the regulating means may, in a manner known per se, comprise a stopperfor sealing the outlet in the container and an adjustment means forraising the stopper out of and lowering it into its sealed position, theadjustment movement of the stopper preferably being regulated by theregulating means stopper, especially when the approaches the outlet.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be described hereinafter in greater detail withreference to drawings which illustrate an embodiment and in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross section of a casting mould for casting acast part of an internal-combustion engine;

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross section of a device for casting an Al/Simelt in a first operating position; and

FIG. 3 shows the device according to FIG. 2 in a second operatingposition.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The casting mould 1 is composed, as a core packet, from a plurality oflateral moulded parts 2, 3, a base part and a lid moulded part 4 whichis arranged at the top, in the casting mould filling position shown inthe figures, and covers the top of the mould cavity 5 surrounded by themoulded parts 2, 3, 4. The moulded parts 2, 3, 4 are made from amoulding material mixed from a moulding sand and a binder and aredestroyed on demoulding of the cast part G formed in the mould cavity.The cast part G may, for example, be a cylinder block for aninternal-combustion engine.

Incorporated into the cover moulded part 4 of the casting mould 1 are aninlet 6, which runs toward the mould cavity 5 in the manner of a funneland merges therewith, and a cylindrical inspection opening 7 which alsoleads rectilinearly from the top of the cover moulded part 4 into themould cavity 5.

The cover moulded part 4 comprises a peripheral edge portion 4 a whichis thicker toward the bottom of the cover moulded part 4 than the innerportion 4 b, surrounded by the edge portion 4 a, of the cover mouldedpart 4. The edge portion 4 a of the cover moulded part 4 rests on thelateral parts 2, 3, whereas the bottom of its inner portion 4 b definesthe top of the cast part and thus the height at which the casting mould1 is completely filled with melt.

Incorporated into the edge portion 4 a of the cover moulded part 4 are alarge number of small-volume compensation chambers 8, 9 which arearranged in rows along the lateral parts 2, 3. One row of compensationchambers 8 are in this case associated with one lateral part 2, whereasthe other row of compensation chambers 9 are positioned above the otherlateral part 3 of the casting mould 1. Within their rows, thecompensation chambers 8 or 9 are set apart from one another in such away that each compensation chamber 8, 9 is associated with a regionwhich is especially critical with regard to the effect of pressurepeaks. Alternatively, the compensation chambers 8, 9 may also bearranged in their rows at uniform intervals so as to ensure adistribution of their effect that is as uniform as possible over thelength of the casting mould.

The compensation chambers 8, 9 take up little space compared to themould cavity 5. The total volume of all of the compensation chambers 8,9 is thus approximately 2% to 3% of the volume of the mould cavity 5.

The base 8 a of the compensation chambers 8, 9 is arranged, in eachcase, below the maximum filling level F_(max) of the casting mould 1defined by the bottom of the inner portion 4 b of the cover moulded part4, whereas the roof 8 b of the compensation chambers 8, 9 is positioned,in the direction of the top of the cover moulded part 4, in each casewell above the bottom of the inner portion 4 b. The upper portion 8 c, 9c of the compensation chambers 8, 9 is thus located in each case abovethe maximum filling level F_(max) of the casting mould 1.

The portion 8 d, arranged below the maximum filling level F_(max) of thecasting mould 1, of the compensation chambers 8, 9 is connected to themould cavity 5 in the casting mould 1 in each case via a horizontallyextending channel 10, 11 incorporated into the lid core 4. The opening,associated with the mould cavity 5, of the channels 10, 11 is in eachcase arranged on the inside, facing the mould cavity 5, of the edgeportion. The channels 10, 11 have a low height and width which isdesigned in such a way that the opening cross section of the channels10, 11 is sufficiently large to allow melt to enter the compensationchambers 8, 9 unimpeded but at the same time sufficiently small for thevolume of melt contained in the channels 8, 9 to solidify, as a resultof the dissipation of heat into the volume of the cover moulded part 4that surrounds the channels 10, 11, as soon as the mould cavity 5 hasbeen filled.

For casting of the cast part G, the casting mould 1 is positioned by aconveying and lifting device 12 below the opening of a supply channel 13in such a way that the inlet 6 in the casting mould 1 is docked tightlyat the opening of the supply channel 13. In this position, theinspection opening 7 in the casting mould 1 is arranged below a laser 14which directs its laser beam through the inspection opening 7 into themould cavity 5 in the casting mould 1.

The supply channel 13 is configured in a connector 15 which isconfigured on the bottom of a melt container 16 and connected to theoutlet 17 in the melt container 16, which outlet may be sealed andopened using a stopper 18. For this purpose, the stopper 18 can beraised by an adjustment means 19 from a closed position, in which itsthickened end seals the outlet 17, into an open position, in which itreleases the outlet 17, thus allowing the Al/Si melt S contained in themelt container 16 to flow into the supply channel 13. In the same way,the stopper 18 may be lowered by the adjustment means 19 to seal theoutlet 17. Both the raising process and the lowering process are carriedout in this case in a regulated manner in that the adjustment means 19is able to stop the stopper 18 in any position in order to regulate thevolume flow of melt S passing through the outlet 17.

The adjustment means 19 receives the control signals for raising andlowering the stopper 18 from a regulating and control means 20. Theregulating and control means 20 is coupled to a measuring and evaluationmeans 21 with which there are associated, in turn, the laser 14 and asensor 22 which detects the laser beam L reflected at the surface of themelt S passing into the mould cavity 5.

During filling of the casting mould 1 with melt S (stopper 18 raised tothe maximum degree), the measuring and evaluation means 21 continuouslycalculates, from the laser beam L issued by the laser 14 and detected bythe sensor 22, the filling level F in the mould cavity 5 and deliversthe corresponding measured results to the regulating and control means20. If the filling level F reaches a filling height F_(krit1), theregulating and control means 20 issues to the adjustment means 19 afirst control signal in response to which the adjustment means lowersthe stopper 18 into a position in which, although the outlet 17 in themelt container 12 is still open, the flow of melt S is neverthelessslowed down. The filling height F_(krit1) is sufficiently remote fromthe maximum filling level F_(max) of the casting mould 1 that thefilling of the casting mould is slowed down toward the end of thefilling process.

As soon as the filling level F has thus reached a second criticalfilling height F_(krit2), the regulating and control means 20 issues tothe adjustment means 19 a second control signal in response to which theadjustment means presses the stopper 18 fully into the outlet 17, thuspreventing any further melt S from entering the supply channel 13. Theposition of the filling height F_(krit2) is in this case designed insuch a way that the amount of melt S_(Z) still present in the supplychannel 13 is sufficient to fill with melt S the mould cavity 5completely and the compensation cavities 8, 9 at most in their lowerregion 8 b, 9 b. Depending on the configuration of the casting mould 1,the filling height F_(krit2) may correspond to the maximum filling levelF_(max).

Alternatively, the regulating and control means may issue merely onecontrol signal to the adjustment means 19, i.e. when the criticalfilling height is reached, so the stopper 18 is completely closed. Ifthe times required for filling the mould are substantially constant, thestopper may be partially lowered in advance in a time-controlled manner,thus also slowing down the filling of the casting mould toward the endof the filling process.

On account of its low volume, the amount of melt which passes into thechannels 10, 11 when the casting mould 1 is filled with melt Ssolidifies almost immediately after the end of the filling process, thussealing the connection between the compensation chambers 8, 9 and themould cavity 5 in the casting mould 1. The casting mould 1 may theneasily be forwarded for subsequent processing by being rotated, forexample, through 180° about its longitudinal axis in order to allow thecast part G purposefully to solidify with solidification orientedcounter to the direction of introduction.

List of Reference Numerals

1 Casting mould

2, 3 Lateral moulded parts

4 Cover moulded part

5 Mould cavity

G Cast part

6 Inlet

7 Inspection opening

4 a Edge portion of the cover moulded part 4

4 b Inner portion of the cover core 4

8, 9 Compensation chambers

8 a Base of the compensation chambers 8, 9

8 b Roof of the compensation chambers 8, 9

8 c, 9 c Upper portions of the compensation chambers 8, 9

8 d Lower portion of the compensation chambers 8, 9

10, 11 Channels

12 Conveying and lifting device

13 Supply channel

14 Laser

15 Connector

16 Melt container

17 Outlet in the melt container 16

18 Stopper

19 Adjustment means

20 Regulating and control means

21 Measuring and evaluation means

22 Sensor

F_(max) Maximum filling level of the casting mould 1

F Filling level in the casting mould 1

F_(krit1) First critical filling height

F_(krit2) Second critical filling height

L Laser beam

S Al/Si melt

S_(Z) Amount of melt still present in the supply channel 13 after theoutlet 17 has been closed

1. A casting mould for manufacturing a cast part from a metal melt, thecasting mould comprising a mould cavity for reproducing a cast part andcomprising an inlet for pouring metal melt into the mould cavity,wherein the mould cavity includes at least one compensation chamberwhich is linked to the mould cavity via a channel, the at least onecompensation chamber including at least one portion which is arrangedabove the maximum filling level of the casting mould duringsolidification of the metal melt.
 2. The casting mould of claim 1,wherein the cross section of the channel is delimited in such a way asto be sealed immediately with metal melt that solidifies aftercompletion of the mould filling process.
 3. The casting mould of claim 1wherein the casting mould is made of a molding sand and a moldingmaterial comprising a binder.
 4. The casting mould of claim 1 whereinthe at least one compensation cavity is linked to a portion of the mouldcavity that is located on top while the metal melt is being poured in.5. The casting mould of claim 1 wherein the casting mould has aninspection opening to the mould cavity for inspecting the filling levelof the metal melt in the mould cavity.
 6. The casting mould of claim 5,wherein the inspection opening to the mould cavity and the at least onecompensation cavity intersect a common horizontal plane.
 7. The castingmould of claim 1 wherein the casting mould includes a plurality ofmolded parts.
 8. The casting mould of claim 7, wherein the at least onecompensation cavity is incorporated into a lid molded part. 9.(canceled)
 10. A device for casting metal melt to form a cast part,comprising: a casting mould defining a mould cavity for reproducing thecast part and comprising an inlet for pouring the metal melt into themould cavity, wherein the mould cavity includes at least onecompensation chamber which is linked to the mould cavity via a channel,the at least one compensation chamber including at least one portionwhich is arranged above the maximum filling level of the casting mouldduring solidification of the metal melt; a melt container, comprising anoutlet for the metal melt; a supply channel connected to the outlet; ameans for docking the casting mould to the melt container in such a waythat the inlet in the casting mould is connected to the supply channelwhen docked; a measuring means for detecting the amount of meltintroduced into the casting mould; a regulating means for regulating theflow of melt from the melt container into the casting mould; and acontrol means which evaluates the amount of melt detected by themeasuring means and issues a control signal for sealing the outlet inthe melt container once a specific filling level in the casting mouldhas been reached, wherein the control means issues the control signalonce the amount of melt poured into the casting mould has reached alimit value at which the amount of metal melt which is then stillpresent in the supply channel is sufficient to fill the mould cavitycompletely and at most a portion of the at least one compensationcavity.
 11. The device of claim 10, wherein the measuring means monitorsthe filling level in the casting mould and the control means issues thecontrol signal once the metal melt in the mould cavity has reached thelimit value.
 12. The device of claim 11, wherein the casting mouldincludes an inspection opening to the mould cavity for inspecting thefilling level of the metal melt in the mould cavity, the measuring meanscomprising a laser that directs a laser beam through the inspectionopening onto the surface of the melt introduced into the casting mould,and (ii) a sensor that detects the laser beam reflected by the surfaceof the melt.
 13. The device of claim 10 wherein the regulating meanscomprises a stopper for sealing the outlet in the melt container and anadjustment means for raising the stopper out of and lowering it into itssealed position.
 14. The device of claim 13, wherein the regulatingmeans regulates the adjustment movement of the stopper.
 15. A processfor casting metal melt to form a cast part, comprising: providing acasting mould comprising a mould cavity and at least one compensationcavity; guiding in a regulated manner the metal melt from a meltcontainer into the casting mould via a supply channel; and interruptingthe inflow of the metal melt into the supply channel once the metal meltin the mould cavity has reached a filling level at which the amount ofmetal melt which is still present in the supply channel is sufficient tofill the mould cavity completely and at most a portion of the at leastone compensation cavity.
 16. The process of claim 15, wherein thefilling level in the casting mould is monitored and the inflow of metalmelt into the supply channel is interrupted once the filling level hasreached a height at which the volume of metal melt which is then stillpresent in the supply channel is sufficient to fill the mould cavitycompletely and at most a portion of the compensation cavity (8, 9). 17.The device of claim 10 wherein the casting mould includes an inspectionopening to the mould cavity for inspecting the filling level of themetal melt in the mould cavity, the measuring means comprising (i) alaser that directs a laser beam through the inspection opening onto thesurface of the melt introduced into the casting mould, and (ii) a sensorthat detects the laser beam reflected by the surface of the melt. 18.The process of claim 15 wherein the casting mould defines a mould cavityfor reproducing the cast part and comprises an inlet for pouring themetal melt into the mould cavity, wherein the mould cavity includes atleast one compensation chamber which is linked to the mould cavity via achannel, the at least one compensation chamber including at least oneportion which is arranged above the maximum filling level of the castingmould during solidification of the metal melt.